Life of a Jester
by GoldenFirefly64
Summary: After Yusho's mysterious disappearance, Yuya inherits his dads job as the castle's royal jester. His role is to entertain the King, the prince Akaba Reiji and all the nobleman who visit the castle. However the kingdom is in peril of war, poverty and unknown creatures. There is also a strange connection between the prince and Yuya that he must discover if he wants to find his father
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful morning, which required going out doors and enjoying the spring air. Yuya skipped along cheerfully. His birthday was today and he was turning nine years old. Excitement was making him jittery. He couldn't wait for his papa to get home and celebrate.

"Oh Miss Yuya, please marry me!"

"No! Marry me!"

"You are the most beautiful maiden I have seen in all the land." A burst of laughter erupted behind Yuya.

Pausing in mid step, he turned to face his addressors. The last thing he wanted to see was Shingo's face early in the morning with his three flunkies Ootomo, Yamabe and Kakimoto. Yuya puffed up his cheeks in frustration. The jokes about his appearance always annoyed him.

Shingo and his flunkies were sitting on an outcrop of rocks a few feet away. Once his attention was turned to them, they dropped down to the ground and approached him in strides.

"What do you want…?" Yuya grumbled in response.

"Ah, that is not a face a lady should make!" Shingo flipped his hair back dramatically and smiled gleefully at his own horrible joke.

"But he looks so cute when he does it!" Ootomo quickly bounced the joke back.

"Ahhhh, leave me alone!" Yuya attempted to walk away but Yamabe and Kakimoto stepped in front of him to bar his path.

"Where do you think you're going pretty boy!" Shingo stepped forward, and sneered down at Yuya.

"Anywhere away from you!"

"Why are you so cold to me? I just want your attention, Ba~by!" Shingo dragged out the syllables for a lasting effect that just irked Yuya even further. Shoving the flunkies to the side, Yuya strode past them.

Shingo followed quickly after, keeping pace with him.

"Ah, don't be mad. I was only teasing. You know we don't think any different of you, even if you are a transvestite."

"A what now?" Yuya turned on his heels, anger flashing across his features.

"A trans… vesilite? What is that?" Kakimoto asked confused.

"Transvestite, it is when a guy looks like a girl! I learned it from papa." Shingo proceeded to explain, sticking his chest out with pride for knowing a complex word.

"That is not what it means!" Yuya snapped back frustrated.

"How would you know?" Yamabe snarked back.

"Unlike some people who pay their way to the top and don't even bother to get an actual education, a transvestite is when a male or female dresses as the opposite gender!"

"Che – my daddy is the Viceroy of this castle and can easily throw you into the dungeon so do not make me angry." Yuya rolled his eyes at Shingo's threat. Shingo always used his father's position as a means to get his way. "And besides, the two are basically the same thing." Shingo shook his head as if to say Yuya was an idiot.

"They are not!"

"Either way, I think a dress is more fitting for you anyways." Ootomo piped in.

"Or maybe Yuya is actually a girl disguised as a boy…" Kakimoto added on merrily.

Losing his temper, Yuya stormed away, and shouted over his shoulder, "I am not a girl who dresses as a guy, nor am I a guy who will EVER dress as a girl!"

…..

5 Years Later…

…..

"Here Yuya, put this on for me!"

"WHY SHOULD I?" Yuya was helplessly cornered in the woman's dressing room.

"Because I want to see how this dress looks and you are my best model. We are similar in body size and appearance after all." Chizu explained as if it were obvious.

"I refuse!" Yuya made a mad dash to escape but more maids blocked his route. "Ahhh, come on! Just leave me alone!"

"Not until after a quick remodeling." Aiko stepped closer to him, easily towering over his short stature.

Chizu, Sakura, Aiko and Koko were the youngest maids in the castle and some of his closest friends. Due to his father's position as the royal Jester, he was often attending parties with his father and getting to know the staff of the castle.

…

"Please Prince Reiji! You are almost 16 and must have a suitor before your coming of age ceremony!"

"I already told you, we are on the brink of war and our attention cannot be averted by such distractions such as balls or courtships."

"Have you ever even glanced at a lady before?" His mother, Himika Akaba asked with exasperation.

"Yes, once or twice, but it was just a passing glance. I will find my partner when I am ready but right now we need to maintain vigilance and prepare our borders for the possibility of a war."

Himika sighed in defeat. Her son had always been the more serious type. Even since he was a child, he would focus most of his time in his studies and closely observing his father's negotiations. He rarely spent any time with children his own age, claiming they were far too inferior, immature or uneducated.

"Now I have a very important meeting I must attend to, please excuse me." With a quick bow, he departed down the hall to his designated conference room.

…

The four maids had way too much fun at Yuya's expense. In the end, he was dressed in red silk, he had a full on manicure, his hair was actually somehow braided and they attempted to add on makeup but that was when he made a break for it.

Bursting out of the doors, he bolted a few steps forward and crashed heavily into another person. Yuya slumped to the ground in a heave of cloth, and limbs. Sitting up, he rubbed his throbbing skull, jumped to his feet and bowed his head in apology.

"I am so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings." His voice came out a little higher than he had intended due to his hasty escape and having the wind knocked out of him.

The sudden clashing noise had the maids bustling to the door. Yanking it open, they all peeked out in curiosity before turning three different shades of pale white to pink.

Yuya kept his head bowed until he received some type of response but when none came, he dared to peek up. He immediately straightened in surprise and his face flashed a full spectrum of color and emotion. His first reaction was surprise, to horror, followed by embarrassment, fear and lastly confusion. Each emotion was clashing to take precedence, which resulted in a mixed awkward expression.

In front of him stood none other than the price Reiji Akaba. He quietly was brushing himself off and not bothering to look up, but after he had rearranged his clothes, he turned his attention to Yuya. His expression quickly took on surprise and a smile before he covered it up with his usual poker face.

"I… I… I am so sorry!" Yuya squeaked out. He quickly averted his gaze and tried his best to dispel his flushed face. _'Please don't recognize me, please don't recognize me…'_ Yuya silently chanted the words over and over again. If Reiji recognized him now, he wouldn't ever be able to show his face again in the castle.

"That was dangerous. A lady shouldn't go dashing through the halls. Please be more careful next time." Reiji quickly flashed him a charming smile and then carried on his way.

Yuya paled and his body froze. "Lady… he thought I was…" The stone fixture his body had somehow froze itself into slowly seeped away and in replace, a dark aura started emitting from him. His eyes starting twitching and he whipped around so fast that it startled the on looking maids. His expression was dark and an evil smile was playing across his mouth. Letting out a maniacal laugh, he crept over to the door and yanked it open forcefully, the maids all bolted away and hid in the corner, afraid of his dark overpowering aura.

"He called me a lady! Prince Akaba actually thought I was a lady! Who wants to take responsibility…?" Yuya asked out with a creepy smile.

"Yuya!" A voice called out from behind and smacked him upside the head. Yuya toppled over forward, causing him to land face first into the floor. The dark aura immediately dispersed and he sat up rubbing his aching nose.

The maid's shoulders relaxed with the timely arrival of Yuya's childhood friend Yuzu. She was the best at calming Yuya down.

"What is going on here?" Yuzu demanded with her commanding tone.

"Well…" Koko glanced at her fellow maids who were also twiddling their thumbs in reluctance to be the first to speak.

Feeling responsible, Chizu spoke up, "we kind of forced Yuya to be our model and Yuya may or may not have run into Reiji in the middle of it all."

"He what!?" Yuzu declared in surprise. "What happened after that?" Yuzu's interest was piqued which made the other maids perk up in glee.

"When we were about to add the makeup, Yuya slipped past us and made a break for the hall." Sakura quickly continued the story with enthusiasm.

"Yea, and on his way out he crashed straight into the prince!" Koko added ecstatically

"And to our surprise, he actually called Yuya a lady." Aiko broke in.

"Which in turn caused him to go out of control…" Koko shivered at the memory.

"That is until you intervened!" Chizu concluded.

The girls were all finishing each other's sentences, eagerly recapping the intriguing encounter.

Yuzu silently listened to the story and when they all finished, the maids leaned in closer, awaiting Yuzu's reaction. Yuzu calmly sighed and turned her attention to Yuya who was still checking to make sure his nose wasn't broken.

"I see…" was her only response which disappointed the girls, they expected a bigger reaction. "Come on Yuya, your nose is fine and we have an appointment." Yuya stopped his inspection and looked up curiously.

"Appointment?" Yuzu didn't bother to respond but rather proceeded to exit the room with Yuya following behind confused. As he exited the room, he waved his farewell and closed the door behind them. Picking up his pace to walk beside Yuzu, he turned his attention to her and saw that her eyes were distant and deep in thought. She was only half conscious of what was around her and proceeded to navigate around the halls with some unknown goal. Yuya knew not to bother her when she got like this so he just followed behind silently, observing his surroundings.

….

Reiji's attention was nowhere near where it needed to be. Even as the nobles discussed important information about trade and taxes, his mind kept wandering back to the mysterious girl he had ran into in the hallway. Her flustered expression upon his arrival had been amusing and she was stunning in appearance. Although she did not look overly familiar, he had a sense of deja-vu which him puzzled. Granted, Reiji didn't focus much attention to anyone, but he would at least remember a face like hers. Sighing, he drew back in his chair and stood up. The gathered nobility all paused in their debate and news to turn their attention to the prince.

"Please excuse me. There is an urgent matter I must attend to. Please carry on without me and report back when this meeting has concluded." After excusing himself, Reiji navigated his way back to the hall in which he first encountered the mysterious girl. Just as he had anticipated, she was nowhere to be found. It had been a little over an hour since he had last seen her, so it was no surprise that she would be elsewhere.

"Ahhh, come on Yuzu. We are back to where we started. Can you please just tell me what is on your mind or at least stop dragging me around?" At the sound of approaching footsteps and voices, Reiji turned his attention in the direction of the voices to see Yusho Sakaki's son and a young lady dressed in pink walk around the corner.

Yusho Sakaki use to be the royal jester of the palace. He was well known and liked by the people because of his selflessness and humor. Reiji was also very fond of the jester; he was noble, kind, strong willed and lit up the halls of the castle; however, three years ago, he randomly disappeared, with no clues as to why or how he vanished. His son was appointed the title jester in his absence and Reiji had caught glimpses of him before but never particularly paid any attention. Now that Yusho's son stood before him, he could see the similarities.

As soon as the pair saw him, Yusho's son froze in place and paled. As quickly as he could, he grabbed his goggles from on top of his head and pulled them down and then quickly ruffled his hair. The action was suspicious and peeked Reiji's interest. Striding forward, he halted a short distance away and used his height as an advantage to appear intimidating.

…..

Yuzu had yet to speak a word. Her head was still bowed downwards and she kept her eyes locked to the floor deep in thought. Yuya tried to bear with the awkward silence but as soon as he noticed their location, his frustration poured out.

"Ahhh, come on Yuzu. We are back to where we started. Can you please just tell me what is on your mind or at least stop dragging me around?"

Yuzu finally snapped out of her zone and glanced around confused, not realizing they had walked a full circle, with a few minor detours. As her eyes scanned her surroundings, they immediately fell on the third occupant in the hallway and she slowed to a halt. Yuya followed her gaze in confusion and he paled in horror _. 'The prince came back?'_ Yuya immediately yanked his goggles down and ruffled his hair, hoping to dispel any similarities to his previous appearance, however, that action was far too obvious and had the prince striding over to his location. The prince stopped directly in front of him, arms cross and usual poker face in check. His stance spoke more than his words, he wanted an explanation and now.

Yuzu quickly bowed her head and greeted the prince warmly, acting as if everything was perfectly normal.

Yuya in turn awkwardly bowed his head in greeting and mumbled out, "Go… good evening."

"Evening." The prince replied indifferently. Yuzu glanced between them, unsure of what to do or say so she remained quiet to watch the scene play out.

"Can I… help you?" Yuya asked with uncertainty. _'Calm down Yuya, it's not like you did anything wrong. Play it cool!'_

"The nobles are currently in a meeting, afterwards, they will be attending a short tea party, care to join us?" The question was not the response he was expecting.

"Sir…? If that is what you wish." Yuya crossed his arm over his chest and bowed again, showing respect to the prince. The prince's orders were absolute. Reiji paused for a moment longer to observe the pair before turning on his heels and walking away.

"I think my heart may have just stopped for a few seconds." Yuya slumped to the ground, eyes still watching the corridor where the prince had been just moments before.

Yuzu stretched out her arm and placed it against to wall to support herself, she was also in shock.

"Why did he come back?"  
"I don't know, but I thought I was dead for sure." Yuya stood back up onto jelly feet, feeling numbness spread through his legs. He was going to need a minute to calm down.

"I doubt he would kill you for cross-dres…" Yuya quickly cupped his palm over her lips to silence her and glanced around the halls.

"Shhhhhh… don't ever mention that again. The last thing I want is for that to get around, or worse, for Prince Akaba to learn about it"

"Oh sorry."

…

As Reiji walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that Yusho's son was hiding something. Was he perhaps the female he encountered in the hall? If that was the case, was he really a female in disguise or did the boy just have a hidden passion. Interest peaked, Reiji smirked at the possible ideas and proceeded back to the meeting room.

Asking Yusho's son to attend the after party was just an excuse to discover the truth and get to know the boy more. In truth, the encounter in the hall was the first time he got a really good look at him, and he couldn't lie, the boy's features were surprisingly gorgeous.

Pausing outside the large double doors, Reiji readjusted his collar before stepping back inside. The group of men paused only momentarily to observe the new occupant but once they recognized their prince, they jumped back into their discussion. Taking his seat at the head of the table, Reiji clasped his hands together and rested them below his chin deep in thought. Now he needed to formulate a plan.

….

Yuya made one quick stop to his room to change clothes and bring a bag of tricks to entertain the guests before heading to the refreshment room. Inside, maids were bustling around to set up the tables and get the food organized. A few pushed past him in a hurry as he entered through the large doors.

With a quick glance around the room, he found a good spot to set up his bag of tricks and plan his performance. Just as he had finished setting the stage, the doors were pushed open and a flood of voices entered the room.

Yuya watched in silence as each nobleman entered the room in twos and threes, chatting amongst themselves while a few took no time getting to the refreshment table. The last person to enter the room was prince Reiji who proceeded to observe the room as Yuya did and then locked on with his display. Yuya gulped at his intense stare and started shaking as the prince slowly approached him.

"Thank you for taking up my offer. May I ask what you have planned?"

"It's… um… I am going to be doing a mixed show. Some juggling, a card trick and a… a…" Yuya grew quiet as the prince squatted down and started rummaging through his bag of tricks out of curiosity. He handled each item in the bag carefully, replacing them with just as much delicacy before standing and nodding his approval.

"I look forward to seeing your performance."

Yuya stared on confused as the prince proceeded to walk away. ' _What was that about? He has been acting weird since this morni…'_ Yuya's heart skipped a beat, _'he doesn't suspect, does he?'_

Yuya's thoughts were cut short as a couple of nobles gathered around eagerly. Shaking off the thought, Yuya bowed deeply to his onlookers before straightening with a big smile. "Ladies and gentle! May I please have your attention to my spectacular performance!?" As he declared his opening act, more nobles gathered around.

He started off slow, showing a feel simple acts and quick slip of the hand tricks, but his nerves were on edge and they were continually weakening the longer his show proceeded. The Princes gaze never left him and it only seemed to get more intense as the show dragged on. When the prince stood and approached slowly, Yuya's concentration broke and the items he was juggling crashed to the ground. Surprised at his own clumsiness, he altered the mistake by playing it off with another trick by making the items on the floor disappear by desperately drawing the crowd's attention to a white and gold cloth that he waved around in mesmerizing curves and waves, all the while, he quickly kicked the items under the table and knocked up a ball with his feet again drawing the audience's attention away to his random foot movements. Fooling the nobles was a simple task but he could tell Reiji was fully aware of his mistake and attempt to cover it up. Reiji amusement was blatantly obvious. He was aware of Yuya's hyper awareness to his presence and was purposefully making him feel nervous. Yuya was only digging his own grave further by showing his emotions so clearly on his sleeve. He knew this, but he couldn't repress the lingering thoughts of the morning events.

After what felt like hours but only turned out to be 40 minutes, Yuya called a close to his act and quickly packed back up his things as the nobles dispersed. Reiji watched from a distance, and waited for the last noble to be gone before approaching behind the squatted Jester who twitched slightly to his presence but pretending to not notice. Smirking, Reiji cleared his throat and Yuya reluctantly paused in his cleaning to turn his attention to the prince.

"That was a good show. I hope to see more of them in the near future."

"Th… thanks." When Reiji made no attempt to move, Yuya stood up completely and silently waited for him to finish speaking.

"Met me tomorrow at noon, I have something I would like to discuss with you." Yuya tensed but nodded his head in understanding.

"Once you have finished packing, you are free to head home." With that, he turned away to bid his guests a good evening.

Glad that he was finally free, Yuya quickly stuffed his items back into his bag and darted out of the room. He was heading straight home and taking a long nap.

….

His home was just down the hill from the castle, nestled in-between a few trees, mostly hidden from view. Their home was decent sized, much more spacious and decorative than most homes in the village, especially since times were difficult and many were stuck living in the slums.

His family had also started out small, just barely getting by, but due to his father's popularity and respect, they had been awarded this luxury. Now with his father gone, Yuya worked hard to pay off the house and provide for his mother. She in turn sewed and sold fine dresses at the market as well as pastries she had baked in her spare time.

Arriving back home, Yuya spared no time rushing inside, taking his shoes off and bolting for his bedroom. Prying his door open, he shut it behind himself and slumped into bed. His brain hurt from all the activities that had occurred that day.

Rolling onto his stomach, he buried his face into his pillow and drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning light and the calling of a rooster had Yuya raising his head and blinking blurry eyed to take in his surroundings. Turning his focus to the window, he eyed the light outside his room to see the sun peaking over the horizon. Sitting up onto all fours, he slowing stretched each limb and arched his back before rolling off the bed to his feet for a last full body stretch. Feeling excited after a good night's rest, Yuya dropped down to the living room from the stone pole attached to his room as an easy way down and headed into the kitchen. His mom was still asleep and since he was feeling high in spirit, he decided to cook her a surprise breakfast. Skipping outside, he headed to their chicken coop and slipped inside. The three hens Daisy, Mrs. Cluckles and Margaretta all turned their attention to his sudden appearance before recognizing their owner and growing disinterested. Slipping his hand under their warm bellies, he felt around the hay beds until his hands wrapped around their prize and he withdrew an egg. After checking each nest, he found 4 eggs and proceeded back to the house. Depositing his stash, he went back outside to fetch some water from the well and lastly visited their cow Jenny for some warm milk. Satisfied, he set to work in the kitchen. Heating the fire stove, he started cooking the eggs, filled two glasses with the fresh milk, buttered some bread that they had sitting on the counter and then set the table. Just as he finished, his mother came around the corner yawning and stretching out her arms. As soon as she entered the room, she paused to sniff the air and opened her eyes eagerly. She smiled in joy to find the table set and Yuya scooting a chair out for her.

"What's the occasion?" She asked with curiosity.

"No occasion, just felt like cooking you breakfast this morning."

"Ahhh, that's so sweet of you! Your father would be very proud of you." At the mention of his father, Yuya's smile disappeared for a second but he quickly covered it up with a large grin but his mother didn't let it go unnoticed.

"Listen Yuya, I may be too optimistic by saying this but I have a feeling your father isn't gone… he is just off on a long journey and we will see him again, so perk up and let's eat this yummy looking food." Giving her a reassuring smile that he was fine, Yuya plopped down into his own chair and dished himself up a serving.

After eating breakfast, Yoko ushered her son out of the kitchen to leave her to the dishes and encouraged him to go out and enjoy the fresh air. After quickly changing into a casual outfit, Yuya broke into a run down the stone path to the village. He hadn't visited his best friend Gongenzaka's place in a while. His friend's family owned a renowned dojo that trained all sorts of men in the art of self-defense and many of the village's soldiers studied at the dojo.

"Where you off to in such a hurry pretty boy?" The all too familiar nickname had Yuya nearly tripping in surprise. Regaining his balance, he eyed the townspeople around him until spotting his target. Shingo and his flunkies were walking side by side, taking up the full span of the walkway, forcing passerby's to take a detour or squeeze through them. Shingo paid them no mind as his attention was locked with Yuya.

"What do you want?" Yuya sighed out frustrated.

"Nothing, just wanted to know why you are in such a big hurry is all."

"None of your business." Yuya turned and walked away, listening to them try and to call him back but he ignored it. He had better things to do with his time.

"Oi! Don't just walk away when we are talking to you! Oi oi oiii!"He was in a good mood today and didn't want anything to ruin it, especially not by some pompous punk.

As soon as he rounded the corner out of Shingo's sight, he broke into a sprint. He knew Shingo would probably follow, but by weaving through the stalls and taking a short cut through an alleyway, he was sure to get away. Glancing behind his back, he sighed out in relief to find that he was indeed not being followed. Slowing his pace to a brisk walk, he turned his attention back forward and froze. In the alleyway stood a group of men, who from first glance were definitely not good. They wore shark teeth, torn clothing, thick jackets and smelled of alcohol. Flipping around, Yuya hoped they hadn't noticed him and took a step forward but was abruptly yanked back by the color of his shirt.

"What do we have here? A little punk wandered onto our turf." Yanking even harder, Yuya toppled backwards and landed heavily on his tailbone. Clenching his teeth to prevent himself from voicing his pain, he glared up at the group with determination to not show fear.

"Well well well, this is a mighty fine catch. We got ourselves a pretty boy."

"He must be loaded, wearing all that fine clothing and looking so fresh…" The man grabbed Yuya by the front of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. One of the men behind started patting his pockets, searching for a wallet, while the one in front held him still. Yuya stayed perfectly quiet, ignoring the man's wandering hands, until he felt the man grab his crotch. Yuya shivered at the foreign feeling and bite his lip surprised. The man in back apologized at first, since he couldn't quite see where he was touching, but Yuya's expression had him gulping. The other on looking men's expressions all turned heated as the display went from mugging to suddenly erotic.

"Well we've searched all his pockets, turns out he isn't carrying any money." The man in the back tried to cover his embarrassment by bringing back up the reason he was even searching the boy.

"That's a letdown, now what should we do with him?"

"Dump him, sell him, trade him off for ransom…"

"I have an idea… we all haven't gotten laid in a while…" Yuya's body tensed and his heart started thrashing through his chest in fear. This day had just gone down a cliff.

"You're suggesting doing it with another man. What are you gay?"

"Hardly, just look at how pretty he is. He is barely even a man." Yuya's eye glinted at the comment and bite down hard into the hand that was holding him. The man hollered out in pain and his hands released their grip. Using his small stature to his advantage, Yuya darted forward and weaved through his obstacles. The startled men stared on at first, but as realization struck them, they dashed after him. One almost grabbed him again, but he dropped down and slid under him and then quickly rolled back to his feet and broke into a full sprint to prevent the chasers from catching him.

Breaking out of the alleyway, he spared no time familiarizing himself with his surroundings and then turning right in the direction of his friend's dojo. Even though he was out of the alleyway, the men stayed hot on his heels and after a quick glance around, he realized the street was eerily empty.

As the sight of the dojo came into view, Yuya sighed in relief, but he hadn't noticed one of the men had caught up and wrapped a firm arm around his waist, hoisting him up into the air and latching him to his hip.

"Thought you got away did you?" Yuya looked around desperately for some kind of weapon to use. The position he was in would make it difficult to use his teeth again. Using his last resort, Yuya screamed out, "Gongenzaka…" the man quickly covered his mouth to silence him and eyed his surroundings in hopes he wasn't heard. When no response came, he smirked in triumph and carried his prize away. When all hope seemed lost, the man carrying him suddenly toppled forward and his grip on Yuya slackened enough for another strong pair of hands to yank him free. Yuya glanced upwards and as he recognized Gongenzaka's towering stature, he slumped into his friends protective arms in relief.

"What do you think you are doing with my best friend?" He nearly snarled out. The other lagging men finally appeared around the corner and slowed to a stop out of curiosity to watch the exchange or help if need be.

"That's our catch of the day, mind handing him over quietly?" Standing back up, the man puffed out his chest and flexed his muscles, as if to intimidate his friend, but Gongenzaka only narrowed his eyes in preparation for a fight. Releasing his protective grip on his friend, he guided Yuya behind him and put up his hands in a protective stance.

"Guess we'll just have to go through you then." The man bolted forwards with surprising speed for his size but Gongenzaka easily knocked him aside. Again the man charged but he averted the punches and knocked him over with a solid push. Growling out with frustration, he jumped up again and this time as he punched forward and was pushed away, he kicked up his foot and hit Gongenzaka squarely in the chest. Gongenzaka staggered backwards slightly but for the most part stayed upright. Yuya looked on worried, and attempted to jump into the fray but Gongenzaka grabbed his shoulder and held him firmly in place.

"Don't worry." He smiled at his friend reassuringly before turning his attention back onto his attacker. Getting bored with just watching, the other men stepped out and joined their comrade who was not looking too pleased.

"I don't need your help!"

"We aren't helping you, we are just here to have a little fun and kill time, besides it's boring just watching."

Now the fight was a 1v4, and Yuya refused to sit back and let his friend take them all on alone, so he ducked under his friends arm and bolted at the nearest guy. With a high leap and adjustment of his body, the man was startled when two shoes came plowing into his face and he slammed his head into the stone flooring, immediately passing out at the hard contact. With one out of commission, all that remained were 3 more.

The other men blinked startled to the small pretty boy and then to their KO'd partner. Even Gongenzaka stared on in surprise.

"It's just not your day today is it?" Yuya mocked them gleefully. With his best friend here, these guys were chumps. Growling out in anger, the three remaining men all charged him, completely forgetting their duel with Gongenzaka. He however did not forget and was not sparing any time coming to his friend's aid. Jumping in-between them all, he decided now was not the time to hold back. The men were probably too enraged to be simply tired down or talked out of it.

With a tightened fist, he pummeled the first guy in the face and kicked the second one away, while the third slammed his fist into his side but he quickly retaliated with another punch into the man's gut. Flanking from behind, the second man lunged at his back but Yuya was faster and tackled him to the ground. Before the man could react, he jumped to his feet and raised his fists in preparation. Leaving the other two to his more experienced friend; he taunted the man further to keep his attention on him.

"Is that all you've got?"

"Don't get cocky." Even though Yuya was weaker, he was at least light on his feet and had quick reflexes. He mostly dodged the incoming blows and timed when the man's arm went back and the other came forward. Once he was sure of the man's speed and fighting style, he started throwing his own punches, which seemed ineffective at first. The man had a solid build but with enough jabs, he was sure to at least leave a good bruise. Sure enough, after a number of blows to the man's side, he finally started to cringe and was getting more and more tired. The sounds of grunting and the clashing of objects had Yuya and his attacker pausing mid fight to find the two other men sprawled out on top of some wooden crates and baskets while Gongenzaka looked unscathed. Lowering his fists, the man conceded defeat.

"We have lost this fight." Walking over to his passed out friend, he hoisted him up, onto his shoulder and turned his attention back to the two of them.

Bowing his head, the man apologized to Yuya and Gongenzaka, "I apologize on behalf of my comrades for the inconvenience we have caused."

"You at the very least can lose honorably. Why do you hang out with these guys?" Gongenzaka asked out of curiosity.

"Because one of them is my older brother and the others are my childhood friends who grew up with us on the street." As the times became harder, more people were left suffering and turning to criminal acts just to survive. That was why Yuya pledged to make everyone in the village smile and bring back joy to the children.

"It is because of guys like you and the others forced to live in the slums that I have made it my goal to bring back everyone's smiles and brighten up this village."

Surprised at the sudden revelation, the man smiled sorrowfully down at him. "That is a very noble goal, but it may be impossible to accomplish."

"Nothing is impossible." Yuya grinned up at him, determination shining in his eyes.

Stepping forward, Yuya offered his hand to the man. At first the man paused but with a smirk he accepted the gesture.

"The name's Alcott and this guy here," Alcott gestured to the man on his shoulder, "is my older brother Ogden. And those two laying on the ground over there are Blake and Erskine."

"The name's Yuya and this is my best friend…"

"Gongenzaka." Gongenzaka stepped forward this time and offered out his hand as well. The man accepted it gratefully.

Suddenly the man grew tense and scratched the back of his head before turning towards Yuya, "Sorry for earlier…" He choked out awkwardly. Yuya stared at him for a second in confusion before his face exploded into red and he shook his head violently.

"It was just an accident…" Gongenzaka looked between them confused.

"They are probably far too out of it to walk right now, so I will leave them be but I will explain to them later not to ever touch you again." The man choked again but quickly swallowed it down.

"Thanks." Turning to his friend, Yuya couldn't suppress his large toothy grin and Gongenzaka also smiled down at his friend before they raced off to the dojo. Arriving at the front door, they slowed to a stop to catch their breath before Yuya was suddenly being dragged into a tight hug.

"Oh Yuya! Yuya~…. I, the man Gongenzaka, have never been more relieved." Breaking out into a deep sob, he squeezed even tighter before Yuya started smacking his chest to release him so he could breathe.

"Gon… Gongenzaka, I… can't… breathe!" Releasing his death grip, he wiped away the tears and started checking Yuya over.

"You're okay right, they didn't do anything to you?" His friend asked worried.

"I am perfectly fine." Yuya responded reassuringly. Satisfied with his checkup and Yuya's response, he invited his friend inside and they sat down on a pair of mats in the corner of the main room.

"So what happened out there? Why were those men chasing you?" Gongenzaka finally asked.

"I was on my way here when I ran into Shingo and his friends… I didn't want to put up with them so I made a break for it but ended up walking down an alley that happened to be occupied by those men you encountered outside. At first they thought I was rich or something and tried to mug me but…" Yuya drifted off with his story, he wasn't ready to mention the last part and decided to leave it out, "but I bite down hard on the guy who had me caught and made a break for it. When I was almost to the dojo, one of the guys caught up and snagged me. I tried to find something to use as a weapon but nothing was within reach so I just screamed out for you."

"You have no idea how much I panicked when I heard you scream… I had just been out with an errand and if I hadn't arrived back when I did, I might not have…" Gongenzaka swallowed and clenched up his fists.

"Hey no sweat, you did arrive and that's what matters." Yuya slapped his friend on the shoulder and grinned. Gongenzaka nodded and shook off the idea of "what if" and replaced it with, "I am surprised at how well you handled yourself out there."

"Hey, I am not entirely useless! I can handle myself. I might not be trained like you but I know when to throw a punch and when to dodge."

"What surprised me the most was your knockout, I didn't know you could jump that high; plus I think you left footprints on that guys face!"

"I didn't either. It was a desperate situation and I was pissed that they were ganging up on you. Besides, I wasn't going to let you fight alone."

"Well I am grateful for the help."

Laying onto his back, Yuya stared up at the ceiling in silence. Enjoying his peaceful time with his friend, until realization struck him.

"Oh no! I forgot I was supposed to meet the prince at noon. Gongenzaka, can you check your sundial and tell me what time it is?"

"Sure thing…" Gongenzaka rose to his feet and disappeared into the back room before the sound of clomping shoes came hurrying back into the main room. "Yuya, it's almost noon!"

"Crap! Sorry Gong, I've got to go. I don't mean to rush off like this but I'll see you again shortly!"

"No worries, get going! And don't go down strange alleys." Jumping to his feet, Yuya bid his best friend a good day and then rushed out of the door.

Just as Gongenzaka had advised Yuya avoided any alleyways. He didn't want a repeat of the morning. He ran for as long as his lungs would hold out until he slowed to a stop and gripped his knees to catch his breath. He allowed his lungs a minute or two to slow down before he took off again but at a jog instead of a run. He wasn't entirely sure why the prince wanted to see him, although he had a pretty good idea, and being late to an appointment with said prince was bound to end poorly.

At first he thought he wasn't going to make it, but as he climbed the last step to the front castle doors, they were pushed opened by a couple of guards and one of the maids was waiting to escort him. When he asked if he was late, the maid reassured him that he still had a couple of minutes to spare.

Sighing in relief, he followed behind the maid in silent anticipation and worry. The prince rarely called anyone out unless it was a very important matter and the only thought circulating through his head was that the prince discovered he was the maiden dressed in the red silk dress he had encountered in the hall. That was no longer his concern since he was sure the prince was aware, but now the biggest question on his mind was what was the prince going to do or say about it…


	3. Chapter 3

The maid guided Yuya to the central garden and instructed him to take a seat under the pavilion and await the prince's arrival. Excusing herself, she quietly walked away, leaving Yuya to this silent solitude. Everything was perfectly still and no staff of the castle passed by leaving him twiddling his thumbs in anticipa tion.

After a few minutes of no-show, Yuya walked over to the grass and laid down to stare up at the glass dome ceiling. The light that filtered through the glass sparkled and cast rainbows on the walls, it was beautiful and peaceful. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the warmth of the rays and the softness of the grass. If only life could be this easy going all the time. Rolling onto his side, he curled up his legs and adjusted his arm to act as a pillow for his head before his mind drifted off and he fell asleep.

….

The prince gritted his teeth in frustration. He had plans he needed to attend to but this meeting was lasting longer than he had anticipated. The four nobles were still arguing over the debate of who had the right to claim the new land they had acquired and what its uses would be. Prince Reiji's eyes started to twitch as the argument continued.

"Sir William, you want the land to be used for housing, Sir Ivory, you want the land to be used for more farming, Sir Davis, you want the land to be used for a new market place and Sir. Jones, you want the land to be used for jousting and training new knights; is this correct?"

The four nobleman paused in their bickering and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Then just split the land into three segments. The first is for farming, the second is for housing and a market place and the last can be used for your jousting event. The land is fairly large in size and can be utilized for all of your ideas." The nobleman exchanged glances.

"Well said prince Akaba. We shall split the land in three."

"Good, now if you'll please excuse me. I have an important engagement I must attend to." Bowing his head to the nobleman, he hastily exited the room. His mood had been sour all morning and that meeting had only added to his already foul mood. Stepping out onto into the garden room, he glanced towards the pavilion, expecting to find the Jester but he was nowhere in sight. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he strode over to the pavilion to sit down but paused when he heard a faint rustling sound. Walking to the other side of the pavilion, he found the Jester curled up on the grass fast asleep and looking completely in heaven.

Walking over silently, he squatted down next to Yusho's son and observed his calm, relaxed features. Suddenly, his irritation melted away and was replaced with an unexplainable feeling of Déjà vu. He wasn't entirely sure why, but the last two encounters reminded him of something that you couldn't quite remember. Reiji's forehead creased in confusion. What was it about this Jester that had him so intrigued? He most certainly wasn't Yusho, but he just had this air about him that fascinated Reiji. The few times he had paid attention to the young jester, he had always been so lively, free and caring. He shared a lot of qualities like his dad but he was his own person and had his own unique way of drawing people in. Very carefully, not to disturb the sleeping boy, Reiji brushed his fingers along his cheek in admiration. Now that he thought about it, he never did learn the boy's name. He just always referred to him as Yusho's son. _'I'll ask him when he wakes up.'_

….

Yuya twitched when something warm and soft glided across his face. As the motions continued, he relaxed further into the comforting strokes and after a couple of minutes of enjoying the serenity, he started to get the feeling something was off. Peeking past his eye lids, the light blinded him so he squeezed them shut for a second before squinting past the light to see the silhouette of a person knelt beside him. Sitting up and yawning, Yuya wiped the sleep from his eyes and turned his full attention to the person before him. Once his vision had cleared and he was accustomed to the light, he stared the person down for a good full minute before realization struck and jumped to his feet in shock. Yuya bowed down low for forgiveness, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Standing up, Reiji stared at him for a second more before speaking, "What is your name?"

Once again, the prince's response threw Yuya off. The prince always asked questions he was not expecting. "Um… Yuya."

"I apologize for not knowing it beforehand. I just have never asked."

"Oh, no worries."

"Care to join me?" Reiji gestured towards the pavilion. Nodding his head, Yuya sat down on one side, while the prince sat on the other. Raising his hand, Reiji made a slight wave before replacing it on the table. Shortly after, a couple of maids walked out carrying a tray of tea and food. After serving them both, the two maids hurried away, leaving the two of them alone.

"Please forgive me before hand, for this question may come across as rude, but I just want to confirm something…"

"Okay…"

"You are a boy, correct?" Yuya was in the middle of sipping tea when the question was asked and he nearly spit it out in horror before he quickly swallowed it and started coughing heavily. After he had cleared his lungs of all liquid, he allowed himself a moment to breath before looking dumbfounded at the prince.

"Yes…"

"Once again, I apologize. I can clearly see you are, but yesterday morning, that was you, correct?"

Yuya almost dared to lie and say no, but that would only worsen the situation and he would be in far deeper water.

"…Yes…"

"Might I ask why?" Reiji calmly sipped his tea, watching Yuya fall apart with each pressing question.

"My… friends… forced… me…" Yuya mumbled out in embarrassment.

"Forced you?"

"Yea… one of my friends… who is a maid in this castle… wanted me to be her model…" Yuya glanced everywhere but at the prince as he explained. It was already embarrassing enough having to remember it, but also having to explain himself… "When they tried to apply makeup, I ran out of the room… and well, you know…"

"They?"

"There are four of them who… dressed me up, but only one of them requested it." Yuya kept his eyes peeled to the ground, but a sudden movement from the prince had him on high alert.

Reiji stood up and circled around the table to Yuya's position before stopping in front of him and leaning in slightly. Yuya scooted back startled and blushed furiously, holding his hands up to block out his red cheeks. Reiji smirked at Yuya's reaction and pulled out a chair to sit next to him.

"You really do look like Yusho." Reiji quietly commented.

"Huh?" Regaining his composure, he tilted his head slightly with a confused expression.

"I always enjoyed your father's performances and yesterday, you were a perfect reflection of him. He would be proud." Yuya blushed at the compliment but a sad smile reached his features. Reiji paused and set his teacup down before standing again.

"Care to join me?" Reiji gestured his hand for Yuya to follow.

"Oh sure…" He wasn't entirely sure what the prince had in mind, but curiosity made him eager. As they walked down the large halls, Yuya observed the various decorations set about. Inbetween the different corridors lay a mural on the wall and a large vase filled with flowers. Candle light was also placed on either side, keeping the hall lit and illuminating the mural, but the longer they walked, the more confused Yuya became. It wasn't until they'd walked nearly the whole span of the castle that Reiji halted outside two large double doors. Pushing them open, he invited Yuya inside. Inside, the room was very spacious, with a high raised ceiling, glittering chandelier, stain glass windows and an enormous king sized bed, draped with red linen curtains around the frame and fluffy pillows. The dressers in the room were made from mahogany and the floor was covered with a large embroidered rug. It didn't take Yuya long to figure out their location.

"Your room is amazing!" Yuya was awed by how must detail was put into it.

"I have never brought anyone else to my room before."

"What?! They why show me?" Yuya asked baffled.

"Because there is something I want to show you." Seating Yuya on his bed, he stepped into a large walk in closet before coming back out with an envelope in hand. He offered the envelope to Yuya, who slowly took it from his hands and flipped it over. Yuya froze at the sight of the familiar hand writing. On the top was written Reiji's name and with shaky hands, he carefully slid the letter out. The paper looked old, like it had been aging for a century but on the page was clearly written words:

To: Prince Reiji Akaba,

"I will be going away for a while and I don't know when I will be able to return. Please look after my wife and son. They are my greatest treasure."

My Deepest Wishes

Yusho Sakaki.

Before he even realized what had happened, tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Wha… Dad… dad…. Hic… Papa…" Heaving out ragged breaths, he cried out his long held back tears of anguish. After his father's disappearance, he had tried to act tough in front of his mother and friends so as not to worry them, but in truth, he had been aching to see his father again or to at least know he was okay. This letter was more than enough confirmation that he needed. Now as his stressed poured out, he could feel years of weight being lifted. Sniffling and whipping his eyes with the back of his hand, he turned blurred eyed to the prince and smiled a large toothy grin.

"Thank you Reiji…. Thank you!" Yuya looked back at the letter and held it up to his heart as a last good luck charm before carefully placing it back into the envelope and handing it back.

Reiji silently took the letter from his grasp but did not move. His gaze was fixated on the young jester. He had never received such a heartfelt thank you before, nor had he ever felt so drawn to another person before.

As Yuyu's breathing returned to normal and his hiccups had passed, he giggled slightly with glee. Today indeed was a good day! Closing his eyes, he absorbed all this new information and felt happiness flood his senses. The heavy weight he had been carrying was finally gone, he felt renewed, rejuvenated, like the darkness in his heart had been liften. He was no longer holding in all his feelings, he could let it all out and not give a damn in the world. Giggling again at the thought, he breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, letting the ripples of joy pass over him. It wasn't until a warm soft feeling touched his lips that he froze in the middle of his giddiness and his eyes snapped open to find the prince leaning into him.

….

Reiji stared on silently as Yusho's son cried out all his pent up fears, worries and tension. The boy had been holding in a lot of stress. Not wanting to bother the young jester, he made to leave the room but the next thing he heard had him paralyzed.

"Thank you Reiji…. Thank you!" No one had ever called him by his first name, except his mother… and Yusho. To hear someone else say it, made him extremely happy, especially Yusho's son who usually just referred to him as Prince Akaba.

After a few minutes, Yuya's crying slowed to a quiet hiccup before fully dispersing and turning into fits of giggles. Yuya was extremely confusing, he always showed a mixture of emotions, each more surprising than the last. Reiji couldn't deny that he was drawn to the boy… but was that all it was?

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Reiji leaned in slowly and captured Yuya's lips with a soft kiss. His heart beat wildly in response and he felt the urge to capture the young male intensify. The slight yearning turned into a full on desire. This wasn't enough, he needed more.


	4. Chapter 4

Yuya blinked once, twice, three times. Here he was, sitting in the prince's room, happily discovering that his father was okay and then getting a face full of said prince. As the kiss became more intense, Yuya yelped, pushed the prince over the bed and bolted out the door.

….

The prince lay on the floor dismayed…. Both by the actions of the Jester as well as his own. He wasn't entirely sure what came over him, nor did he expect such a strong push to send him flipping off the backside of the bed. Heaving himself to his feet, he decided if he thought too much on the subject, he might just lose himself, so he decided to take a stroll through the castle and ponder the day's events.

….

Yuya paid no attention to the curious glances that flew by him as he sprinted down the halls. He just wanted to make some distance and not think about the prince's actions. Whatever the reason for the kiss, Yuya had not felt disgusted or bothered by it in the least which confused him beyond the mysteries of the world. Instead, the kiss felt warm, passionate and dare he say, sexy! _'I am not gay! I am not gay! I am not gay! I am not gay!'_ Yuya's face burned bright red.

"Yuya!" A cheerful voice called. Losing focus, Yuya slipped on a carpet, toppled forward and rolled a few feet before coming to a halt near the maid's room. A few giggles caught his attention and he cranked his neck to see his four maid friends peering out of their rooms.

"Oh what, are you embarrassed?" Koko asked teasingly.

"You're face looks awfully red there." Aiko added in. The embarrassment of slipping was the perfect disguise to cover up the true reason for his discomfort and instead of correcting them, decided to pay along.

"I wasn't expecting an audience unless at one of my shows."

Giggling, the girls helped him to his feet. "I should probably have asked first, but are you okay?" Sakura asked although she knew he was fine; just a common courtesy.

"I am more than fine!" Yuya pounded his chest as added emphasis, but he realized he might have been too obvious that he was faking it. Luckily for him, the girls bought his response and continued on the conversation, just passing it off as his silly personality.

"Where are you headed off to in such a hurry?" Chizu asked curiously.

Using this opportunity as an escape goat, "Just forgot something at home." Yuya bid them farwell and sprinted away again, leaving the girls baffled.

"I think it had something to do with the prince!" Koko chimed in after Yuya was out of sight.

"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked.

"My sixth sense is tingling and is telling me that the prince is involved."

"Yea whatever Koko, let's get back to work!" Aiko cut into the chatter and the girls quickly split up to start working again.

…

Yuya's heart pumped wildly as he sprinted home. He had never run so fast before so his lungs burned and his feet stung, but he needed to lock himself into his room to think. As he ran his thoughts kept drifting back to the prince and he wildly shook his head to clear it but the sensation of the Prince's lips only became more vivid. As his house came into view, he spared no time yanking the door open, slamming it behind him and climbing the stairs three at a time before he was safely locked away in his room. Jumping onto the bed face first, Yuya chanted to himself, "Oh my G*d, Oh my G*d, Oh my G*d…."

"You home already Yuya?" His mom called up appalled. 'Crap… forgot I would have to explain myself to my mom…'

"YEA!..." Yuya's voice cracked slightly revealing his distress and as quickly as he could, he cleared his throat and responded again. "Yea, just have a slight upset stomach and need some sleep." However, his mother caught onto his tone of voice and knew something was up. Her first thought was worry, "Yuya, is everything all right?" His mom paused just outside his door.

"Yep, just feeling sick is all." Yuya attempted to sound cheerful which worked for the most part but his mom wasn't buying it.

"Yuya I am coming in." Yuya cringed as the door creaked open and his mother stepped into the room. Yuya sat up in his bed to greet her and show her he was fine.

Before she responded, she searched him over. Satisfied to see he was unharmed, she then paid notice to how red he looked. "You look a little red, guess you are just feeling sick, would you like me to cook you something warm to eat?"

"I am fine, thank you." Yuya was grateful for his mother's concern.

With one last glance to set herself at ease, she kissed Yuya's forhead before turning the light off and closing the door. Yuya listened intently as the door clicked softly shut and his mother's footsteps drifted away before throwing the covers off and jumping out of bed to pace. He couldn't sit still, or else his mind would wander back. Looking for anything he could find to set his mind at ease, he paused in his pacing when he caught sight of a flickering light outside his window. It was around midday so it could well have been a reflection of the sun off of a shiny surface outside his window but he didn't recall anything casting a light like that before. Curiosity peaked, Yuya leaned outside his window. The forest below looked normal as usual and there were no objects within sight that could have caused the lighting effect. Glancing back towards his bedroom door, he silently hoped his mother wouldn't check on him any time soon, before climbing out of the window. Dropping down to the forest floor, he examined his surroundings once more from his new view but still nothing was out of place. Deciding to investigate, Yuya slowly walked through the trees, taking his time to enjoy the fresh air and let his mind get distracted.

He completely forgot about being stealthy and wound up walking openly in front of the house until he heard his mother calling.

"Yuya what are you doing out of bed?" Cringing, Yuya paused for an excuse.

"Oh… um… I just needed fresh aiRRR~…" Yuya hollowered in surprise as the earth suddenly started shaking. The shock waves sent his mother toppling over and Yuya nearly lost his balance but managed to catch himself on a tree.

"Oh my gosh, Yuya, quick get inside. We might be having an earthqua…." A loud bellowing roar echoed through the trees, sending a strong blast of wind to sway the large pine trees. Yuya and his mother quickly covered their ears. The sound was deafening! After a few seconds, the forest became quiet again and they laid low to the ground, keeping their eyes to their surroundings. They stayed perfectly quiet, feeling the chills crawl up their spine as the silence prolonged. Suddenly Yuya's mother screamed for him to run. Panicked and confused, Yuya stood to his feet and bolted to the door but before he could make it, he was suddenly snatched off of his feet. Fear and nausea from the sudden yank had Yuya's head flopping backwards as he passed out. The last thing he saw through blurry eyes was a large red figure.

…

Akaba Reiji was attending every meeting the castle had scheduled, all just to keep his mind cleared. The knights and nobleman talked stiffly and quickly with the prince's heavy aura hanging over them. They all wanted to be freed from the prince's gloomy atmosphere and the longer the meetings stayed adjourned, the longer they had to suffer his presence. All the while, the prince remained silent and distant. Not particularly paying attention to the meetings, just trying to find an outlet for his frustration and confusion.

"Prince Akaba?"

"Prince…"

"My prince!" Reiji snapped out of his thoughts and looked around the room to find it unoccupied. The meeting had parenting been adjourned and he was left alone to his thoughts. Only a couple remained to ensure he was alright.

"Are you feeling ill?"

"No no… I'm fine…" Standing stiffly, he exited the room and walked through the halls of the castle completely doll like. None of the maids tried to approach for fears of being struck at or fired. Reiji had no objective, no destination, he was just trying to settle his thoughts, as he was passing by the castles large front doors, they were suddenly thrown open and a couple of guards were snapping at someone to please reframe from causing trouble and to turn back. Deciding to intervene, if only a moments chance to distract himself, he walked over to the doorway to find a flustered woman who was trying to push past the guards.

"Guards, please release her for a moment." Upon hearing the prince's command, the guards immediately let go. "You may go!" The prince commanded. The guards hesitated for a second but when the prince turned his expectant stare on them, they hastily returned to their post.

"May I help you?" Reiji asked calmly. The woman through back her head covering and looked up with pleading eyes. The woman was none other than Yuya's mother and her panicked expression sent his heart plummeting.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes!

"I want to apologize to everyone for the wait. My parents are currently getting a divorce so there might be large gaps in between each new chapter. I will try to post regularly but please bear with me. Thank you my lovely readers and keep staying cool!" ;)

….

The castle was in a state of crisis. Knights, maids and nobleman shuffled about to fulfill the princes orders as he tried to rally his troops for a search party. Never in his life had he felt so panicked. His actions were sure to reflect badly on his status and lower his citizen's approval but all he could think about was retrieving his jester. Yusho had entrusted him to care for his family and he was not about to break his promise, although this time around, his duty was no longer his focus. He had personal feelings getting mixed in. He knew he needed to clear his head or else he would only make matters worse so after calling out orders, Reiji slipped away into his room, slamming the door behind him and slumping down onto the bed.

…. "Ma'am how can I help you?" Reiji tried to remain calm and unaffected by her sudden appearance. For all he knew, the problem could be unrelated to Yuya but he knew with a sinking feeling Yuya was in trouble.

"My… boy… gone…"

"Gone? Gone where?" Reiji's voice slightly broke and he cringed but the mother was in too big of a panic to notice.

"I… I don't know! The earth just started shaking and then something big… some terrifying… snatched him up…" Choking back sobs, Yoko dropped to the ground shaking. Reiji froze in place. With equally shaky hands, Reiji gently picked her up and called blandly to the guards to care for the woman. As the guards guided her away, she glanced back confused and scared, afraid he wasn't going to help but as her eyes fell onto his expression, her heart flip flopped in surprise. His expression was a mix of horror, fear and protectiveness. Something she was not expecting from the prince to have towards her son and she felt the links connect. Gasping in shock at the revelation, she lifelessly followed the guards. Her emotions were piling high and she wasn't entirely sure what to feel at the moment. She still felt panicked about her missing son but now she was overcome with surprise and wonder.

…

Yuya groaned as his head felt heavy and his body was stiff. There wasn't really pain, just a feeling of been pressed down with a lot weight. Opening his eyes, he blinked a few times to adjust his vision to the sunlight before being able to see his surroundings. Where he currently lay was in a mossy covering full of trees, flowers and vines. Confused, Yuya sat up and stretched his stiff limbs. Pushing himself up to his feet, he slowly turned around to verify his location. He didn't recognize his current area but if he climbed a tree, he might be able to get some kind of clue as to where he was. Finding the easier tree to climb, he prepared himself to jump for the nearest branch until a hot gust of air blew over him. Freezing, Yuya slowly glanced over his shoulder and nearly yelped at the sight of a mighty beast lying very close. Just before he allowed himself to scream, he held his breathe and eyed it closely to verify it was asleep. The beast was massive. Its body was bright red with white armor and a golden face. He couldn't see its full figure too clearly from its current position nor did he want to see. All he knew was that it was breathing softly and definitely fast asleep. If he moved carefully, he might be able to escape. Changing objectives, Yuya quietly crawled away, creating distance between him and the strange creature. As soon as he had broken free from its sight, he broke into a run, dodging the hanging branches and vines and looking for cover to dunk back under and listen to verify he wasn't being followed. Locating a good hiding spot, he dived under it just in time to hear the beast roar in frustration. Yuya tensed as the ground began to shake as the creature burst through the coverage, sniffing the air and searching desperately for his missing prey. It had followed his scent in a matter of seconds to find his location and his fears increased as it sniffed the area dangerously close to his hiding spot. The teeth of the beast pulled back, almost like it was grinning wickedly before a red glowing eye turned in his direction. This time Yuya let out a cry and bolted away but the creature was faster and snatched him up again. Feeling the rush of air, his head slumped back but this time he remained conscious. Once the dizziness left him, he watched helplessly as the beast carried him away again. His arms were locked down to his sides and his head couldn't angle down enough to chomp down. The last thing he wanted was to say he didn't try so he pushed as hard as he could to squeeze free, but the creatures grip never slackened. He even tried screaming for help but the beast only roared out in response as well, almost as if to say they were alone and screaming wouldn't make a difference.

Feeling exhausted after having struggled for about an hour, Yuya went limp in the creature's massive paw and stared up at the forest canopy. Light filtered through the thick leaves casting various light tunnels onto the forest floor. If he wasn't dreading becoming this beasts next meal, he might have enjoyed the scenery.

After what felt like hours of walking, the beast finally tired out and settled down in a clearing. Expecting the beast to chew him up for dinner, he closed his eyes and tensed his body however, the beast gently set him down to the ground before releasing its claws. Yuya stared up confused. As its way of communicating, the beast made a gently rumbling sound from the back of its throat, as if to say everything was fine before curling up to sleep. The sun in the sky was just setting and trying to run away during the night with unfamiliar surroundings and dangerous creatures lurking in the shadows would be a suicide mission. He was safer to stay beside the beast. It didn't seem like it wanted to harm him but its purpose was still unknown. Why was he kidnapped? Why wasn't it eating him? Why bring him into the deepest part of the forest? Not wanting to think on the subject any more. Yuya found a nice patch of grass to lay on and sprawled out onto his back to stare at the night sky. He was certain his mother was panicked and the chances of a search party being sent out to search for him was nigh impossible. He was on his own. His only hope was that the beast would eventually take him back home.

…

Yoko was guided to a fancy guest room where she was promised to be accommodated to the best of their abilities. Excusing themselves, the guards promptly left her alone to find their stations and rally with the rest of the troops.

Unable to sit still, Yoko paced around the room. She needed to keep moving to keep herself distracted. Her nerves were on edge but knowing that the prince cared for her son set her mind more at ease. She was surprised to discover he cared so much for Yuya. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that what the prince felt for her son was deeper than friendship and honestly, she wasn't entirely sure what to think about that. The prince was in love with her son…! The prince! Her son! Two boys! The Prince! Her mind kept bouncing around in a jumble to the point that she needed company and someone to talk to. Stepping out into the hall, she jumped back startled as a group of knights rushed past. It was almost as if the castle was preparing for war. Carefully navigating the halls as people bolted past her coming every which way, she located her destination to the maid's quarters. Knocking softly, a flurry of feet came rushing to the door before it was yanked open by only a few eager maids to get to work. However, the maids gasped in surprise to find Yoko at their door and not a knight with orders.

"Yoko!" Koko exclaimed surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Upon seeing the maids, Yoko's pent up feelings came bubbling out again and she burst out crying. Surprised at her reaction, Koko, Chizu, Sakura and Aiko jumped forward to comfort Yuya's mother, wrapping protective arms around her to help calm her distress. In the background, a couple maid's dropped what they were doing from curiosity. Upon recognizing her friend, one of the elder maids came rushing forward.

"Yoko, what on earth happened my dear girl." Gently grabbed her arm, she guided Yoko inside while Aiko closed the door behind them. Sitting down onto the bed, Yoko wiped away the tears and cleared her throat.

"Oh Mary… Yuya was carried off somewhere… by something… huge… something I have never seen before…" Yoko choked out. "I was desperate… he's all I have left…" To soothe her worries, Mary gently rubbed her back.

"Is that why the castle is in such a state of disarray?" Sakura asked curiously. Yoko glanced up at her.

"I honestly don't know, but… I believe so."

"I knew it!" Koko chimed in excited.

"Knew what?" Yoko asked surprised at her sudden burst of energy.

"I had a feeling the prince and Yuya were…" Koko's excitement drifted off as she realized she was blabbering away sensitive information to Yuya's mother when she was already overwhelmed with grief. Sakura was also shaking her head at her for bursting out like that.

"If you are referring to the way the prince cares for Yuya, I also pieced it together." The girls gasped shocked.

"What do you mean you knew?" Aiko asked slowly.

"Well, I mean I just discovered it."

"How so?" Chizu spoke up this time. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"After I had spoken with the prince and was carried off, I had a look at his face and it was all the confirmation I needed. There wasn't just concern, there was more… I could feel he had deeper feelings…"

Upon hearing all this, Mary withdrew and sat down on one of the beds.

"Oh dear… I had no idea that the fuss in the castle was in regards to your son… and to hear that the prince and your son…"

"Well, I am not entirely sure on the whole situation, nor do I know how Yuya feels about… the prince… Oh man, I don't think I will ever get over saying that…" Yoko collapsed her head into her hands. She was grateful she had someone to talk to, but the more this conversation carried on, the more overwhelmed she felt.

Koko giggled at her comment but quickly stifled it so as not to offend Yuya's mother.

"Well I have a castle to keep clean and work to be done. You girls are welcome to keep her company but please don't forget your chores." Excusing herself from the room, Mary gave Yoko one last supportive hug before carrying on with her duties. A couple of other maids also followed her out with a polite 'please excuse me' to Yoko. They had probably overheard the conversation and felt awkward about it. Now with only Yoko and the four maid friends, she felt more at ease after having shared her thoughts and since the room wasn't so crowded.

…

A soft knock on the prince's door had Reiji jumping to his feet and replacing his formal composure. Now that he had a cool head, he was ready to start sending out search parties in an orderly manor without causing panic with the locals. If he made to big a scene about this, it was sure to draw in suspicion to his actions and he would be hammered with questions regarding his relationship with the jester. Currently, even he wouldn't have an answer for them. He was still confused. Since when had he gotten so close to the jester? Sure he was asked by Yusho to look after his family, but he had stronger feelings he couldn't quite place. He wasn't an idiot, he could easily pin point the feeling to either deep respect, his promise, a dear friend or even love. All options were variables he needed to account for but there was no jester to confirm any of these feelings. Whatever it took, he had to save Yuya and ensure his safety. First and foremost, he needed a more detailed explanation of the creature that took Yuya. Whatever it was, it more than likely picked him up as a snack so he had to work quickly. However something was off, why did the beast chance entering into town to snatch up a random boy, only to leave the mother unscathed and no other destruction to be found. Well it was a beast after all and it probably didn't have an aim but he had a feeling the creature didn't pay Yuya a visit by chance. It had a motive and he was going to find out what its motive was before it was too late.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes!

"I wanted to give everyone an insight as to what I have been thinking thus far. When I write my stories, I don't pre-plan what I am going to write about, I just type out whatever first comes to mind. Is this always the case? No, but I usually don't have a plan. Also, I try to resemble the characters personalities as best I can. Yuya is the honest type who seems to act on his emotions a lot; he also shows signs of being stronger than he appears. Reiji is a level headed leader who is very bright, strong willed and calculating. Gongenzaka is very endearing, caring and over protective. Yuzu is impulsive and fierce but patient and loving. That is how I view each of the characters. Now trying to add a medieval twist, I wanted to match a role that would fit each characters personality. I don't think I need to explain any further on that subject since the roles basically explain themselves. Do you agree with my description of the characters or do you think I am slightly off?

If you have gotten to this chapter by now, I would love to read your comments and receive your opinions on the story and suggestions on what I could add or improve on !"

Yuya and Yusho – Jester

Gongenzaka – Dojo master

Shingo – Viceroy's son (The governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king.)

Yuzu – Lady-in-waiting

Yoko – seamstress and baker

….

….

Reiji hated to ask Yoko about the beast and stir up frightening memories but he needed more details. A clue, a visual, something to go by; currently he was in the dark.

"Guards!" Upon hearing the prince's summons, a couple of guards rushed over. "Please bring Yoko to me." Bowing with respect, they hastily departed.

Turning to the next group of soldiers he called them over and ordered them to call out a warning to the citizens to be vigilant and not leave the village.

"What details do you want the citizens to know?"

"Just let them know there is an unidentified creature roaming the woods. Keep it brief, and don't cause any unnecessary panic."

"Yes sir."

…..

A soft brush along Yuya's cheek stirred him awake. The sounds of whistling birds and humming bees made his surroundings feel surreal, almost like he had died and gone to heaven… this thought shot Yuya awake and he sat up abruptly. Beside him, he heard a gentle rumble and he turned in the direction of the sound to see a large green eye staring at him with concern. Wiping a hand across his face, he shook his head to clear it. Suddenly, something moved across his lap and he flinched slightly before opening his eyes to find the beast had draped its tail over him. The tail was purplish in color and had red spikes near the end. With a shaky hand, Yuya brushed his fingers along its length. The outer shell felt warm and smooth to the touch. As he continued to softly stroke the tail, he heard the beast rumble out a deep purr. The deep throated rumbling sent vibrations down the beast's tail and made Yuya's body tingle. With gentle but wary hands, afraid he might upset the beast, he slipped the tail off of his lap to stand up and stretch. His limbs felt stiff after all his struggling the other day. Following his example, the beast stood up before shaking its body to throw off a few leaves that had fallen onto it in its sleep. After a good stretch of its own, it swerved its massive head in Yuya's direction and silently stared at him for a few good seconds. Yuya silently looked on. He no longer felt threatened but he still felt wary. As he continued to stare back at the beast, he started to notice more details; the creature had heterochromatic eyes, one eye was red while the other was green. The beast also had two white blades sticking out of its back and each had a green orb embedded into it. In fact, the more he stared, the more he noticed the creature had a lot of random gems embedded into its body, such as its forehead and its belly. Why? He wasn't entirely sure; its features were odd but beautiful.

After what felt like minutes, the beast finally moved; slowly, the beast lowered its head to Yuya to show it was harmless before it cautiously opened its claws as an invitation for Yuya to climb on. This time, he didn't hesitate. Using its claws as hoisters, he pulled himself up. As soon as he was onboard, the beast lifted its hand and raised him up to its shoulders and paused. At first Yuya was confused until he realized it was asking him to mount its back. Dropping down carefully, he found a good spot to position his feet and then grabbed onto a pair of white blades on each side of the beasts neck for support. Once he was secure, the creature took off at a sprint.

…..

"How may I help you?" Yoko asked nervously, as she was brought before the prince.

"Thank you. You may leave" With a bow of respect, the guards departed. Turning to Yoko, he paused to give thought to his words before proceeding.

"I don't mean to give unnecessary hope, but I have cause to doubt any harm has befallen your son."

"You are not the only one. I still sense that my boy is all right but as each hour passes, I can't help but feel my dread increasing."

"I will do everything within my power to secure your son. Not just out of consideration for my respect to your deceased husband or because he is my responsibility but for personal reasons as well."

"For emotional reasons…" Yoko said softly. The voice was almost inaudible but the prince heard her response words and softly whispered back, "aye."

"What can I do to help return my son back home?" Yoko asked determinedly.

"For starters, might I ask for a more detailed explanation of everything that had occurred before he was snatched by the creature?"

"Yes of course… but after having some time to cool off, I think I might know what that creature is and where it came from…" Surprised, the prince froze and stared down at her intently.

"I…" Yuko drifted off in her sentence, second guessing herself but instead she shock off her fears and doubts. She decided it was time she told someone, especially when the time was ticking and she feared she would lose her son forever and she didn't mean through death.

"I have a confession I need to make." Hearing her voice tighten with conviction, the prince tensed unconsciously.

"But not here… somewhere more private." She whispered softly while remembering their location. Nodding his understanding, he guided her to a private room and locked the door behind them.

Once she was sure they were alone, she took a deep breathe before continuing…

…..

Yuya didn't remember drifting off to sleep, but the next thing he knew, he was waking up in the palm of the beast who was just starting to decelerate. Shaking off his drowsiness, Yuya carefully twisted his body to latch onto one of the claws for support and carefully knelt up so that he could get a view of his surroundings. They appeared to be in a very dense forest for it was fairly dark but every now and then, he could see the sun filtering through the tree tops suggesting it was sometime in the afternoon. After another quick observation Yuya realized the creature was approaching some kind of large structure hidden in the foliage. As they drew nearer, he realized the structure was an old temple completely being overgrown with ferns, moss, flowers and small critters that had made it their home. It was obvious from first glance that the building was deserted but even so something moved at the entrance and it didn't take him long to realize a man was making his way outside. With gentle hands, the man guided the vines blocking the entrance to the size and silently stared in Yuya's direction, almost as if he was awaiting his arrival.

The beast didn't waste any time and lowered his hand to the ground so that Yuya could hop off. Sliding off cautiously, he held his ground.

"No need to be afraid young prince. I have come to welcome you home."

…..

"This is terrible!" Gongenzaka blurted out for the hundredth time while pacing around the dojo.

"You've said that already Gon…" Yuzu heavily sighed. She was just as concerned for Yuya as he was, but that didn't change the fact that they couldn't do anything other than sit and await news from the castle.

"You're the queen's lady in waiting, can't you use your position to gather more information?" Yoko chimed in.

Yuya's closest friends had heard the news with sunken hearts and had met up at Gongenzaka's dojo to discuss Yuya's disappearance. Yuzu had been on her way to Yuya's home just before his mother came rushing past in a flight of panic. At the time, she didn't catch much from Yoko but what she did gather was that Yuya had been taken by a creature. After that, she had rushed back to the castle to see what else she could learn but unfortunately, she didn't learn much more other than that it was massive, it had claws and teeth and it was unidentifiable.

"There has got to be something else we can do!" Chizu piped up.

"Yea, like maybe we can help the soldiers gather their equipment. That should rush them along!" Sakura added with enthusiasm. Usually the stable boy and prince's right hand man would attend to such duties while her maid duties were more inside tending to the rooms. Would she actually be allowed to assist the soldiers now that she thought about it?

"That is definitely better than just sitting around doing nothing!" Koko agreed.  
"Only you are forgetting that maids are limited to what tasks they can perform…" Aiko grumbled. Her remark settled a cloud of gloom over the girls as they silently agreed.

Shaking off her frustration, Sakura stood up and turned to the girls, showing determination in her eyes. "Well I for one don't care! Our friend is out there doing God knows what while we are debating on whether we can or can't do something! I say let's just do it and then take the punishment later."

"Yea, sorry Sakura. I didn't mean to be a downer. I am just feeling so useless right now. But you are right, it's better to try then just assume." Dusting off her dress, Aiko gently patted her shoulder to show her thanks and turned to the other girls expectantly. Without delay, Koko, Chizu and Yuzu stood up to follow them back to the castle.

"I am coming to!" Gongenzaka stood as well feeling proud that Yuya had such loyal friends. In the beginning, it used to be just the two of them before they became great friends with Yuzu and later the four young maids of the castle.

…..

"I suppose I should start from the beginning. Growing up, I had never known what a true family was like. My parents both abandoned me, I grew up in the slums and I was a part of a gang who would steal food so that we could eat as well as make life difficult for the nobles who ran this city. They got to enjoy luxury will us kids had to fight to survive every day. We all came from different backgrounds and we all grew up without an adult. I even lost a few friends along the way… You could imagine how messed up in the head you can become after living a life without knowing love, comfort or even having a shelter. It was around 15 years ago now that I meet the coolest man on the planet. He was outgoing, funny, handsome and strong-willed but above all, he was my first love. It was during one of my gang's raids that he came to stop us. I didn't take to well to him at first, but the way he moved and talked it was like magic or a dream. He was quite the silver tongue and oh how it drew me in. It was like he was out of this world and for the first time ever, a felt a new emotion like I never would have dreamed feeling. It wasn't long before he had also wormed his way into the castle and earned the respect of the citizens living in this village by resolving the issue with the slums and restoring some balance to the distribution of the wealth. Not even a year later, he proposed to me and we got married. It was as if nothing could go wrong since everything was perfect but I later discovered who the man I married was…

Reiji was failing to see a purpose to her story until her last sentence. Drawing in a breath of silent anticipation, he felt his nerves twitch. Was there a dark secret about Yusho that he didn't know? The man he had always looked up to… he couldn't fathom what dark secret he might learn about him. Did he want to know?

"Just before Yusho disappeared, a group of strange people visited our home. It was late and night and we had just put Yuya to bed. Upon their arrival, my husband looked distressed and asked me to vacant the room so that he might talk with them in private. Not wanting to pry, I did as he asked and around two hours later, he finally emerged from the room. His express had turned cold and distant, an expression I had never seen on his face. When he approached me, he kept his eyes turned to the ground and refused to stare me in the eye. What he told me must never be repeated to anyone! I am only telling you this now because I feel that I can trust you… I would like some confirmation now that this trust is not wasted." Yoko turned a fierce stare to the prince. He could tell that his next response would determine whether or not he would hear any further on this subject.

"You have my undying will and honor to never share this knowledge with anyone. Yuya means the world to me and I would trade all my riches to be with him." Pride welled up within Yoko to hear the prince's conviction for her son. A confirmation is nothing more than words if a strong feeling isn't delivered with it.

"Thank you Prince." Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she continued. "Yusho approached the subject about his visitors cautiously. He explained that the people who had paid him a visit were his royal guards and that he was a king from a distant land. The reason he had left his kingdom was because the palace had been overthrown by a tyrannical overlord known as King Deshal. His power stretched across most of the land and he brought nothing but destruction in his wake, however, he didn't raid my husband's land to further stretch his rule, he was after some kind of power. A power that was transferred from the king to the next heir in line to take the thrown."

"Yuya…!" Reiji gasped out loud.

"Exactly… what this power is, I know not, Yusho disappeared shortly after that. But he did explain that his guards sent him away to hide him from Deshal's grasp. In his time of absence, he felt infuriated that he couldn't do anything to assist his people. He knew if he rushed in recklessly, he would surely be captured and all hope of stopping Deshal would be lost. Instead he decided to pass on his power to a new heir so that he might return without the worry of endangering his people."

"Wait!" Reiji stopped her appealed. "You mean to tell me he was just using you?" Reiji demanded with a hint of fury. He could not believe what he was hearing. The man he looked up to was nothing more than a lie!

"I believe that was why Yusho looked so distraught and why he refused to meet my eye. I believe he felt I would not forgive him, however, that does not change the fact he could have picked any woman and instead he chose me. Besides, it wasn't a one night stand. That man still married me and we were able to live a few years together. I had lived my whole life in the slums alone. To even be able to experience the joys of family life, even for a short time was more than I could ask for."

"You are a noble and loyal woman Yusho. Yoko was lucky to have married a woman like you."

Smiling warmly to the compliment, she readjusted herself in the seat to a more comfortable position and stretched her stiff muscles. The air in the room was filled with tension and she was beginning to feel suffocated.

"While I might have called it a far way land, I later learned more than I thought could be possible. Yusho was in fact from another world… and this world possessed magic not found in our universe, making it the perfect escape route to avoid the tyranny of Deshal. To open a portal linking these two worlds takes a very skilled mage, such as the one in the royal guard."

"My apologies Yoko, I am finding this hard to believe. You are saying Yusho is a king from another world and this world contains magic."

"I know, it also took me a while to believe it."

"Then that creature that took Yuya…" Reiji's sentenced drifted off in horror. The beast could be bringing Yuya back to this Deshal person.

"That is what I fear. I believe the creature was most likely a dragon."

"A dragon? What is that?"

"A very powerful beast that serves Deshal and fights for his armies."

…..

"Welcome me home?" Yuya asked dryly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Deshal and I am your uncle."


	7. Chapter 7

"My uncle, is this some kind of joke?! I am pretty sure if I had an uncle, my parents would have told me a while ago. Do you think I am stupid? Might want to try another approach buddy."

"I can understand you're confusion and your doubts but that doesn't change the fact that I am your father's brother, hence that makes me your uncle."

"Wow, are you seriously running with this lie. I'm not buying it… at least without proof."

*sigh* "Your father's name is Yusho Sakaki, he disappeared a few years ago after a visit from some unexpected guests and the woman he married was a slum off the streets who used to be a part of a gang called Maiami Queens until he saved her. Shortly after, his influence reached the castle and he was appointed a position of Royal Jester. Most jesters have little to no actual power in the castle but he personally requested the position, claiming he didn't desire power, he just wanted to make people happy and he wanted to live peacefully with his wife. By doing so, the position of royal Jester became not just that of an entertainer but also as one of the King's advisors. I could continue if you like?"

"…" Yuya watched on silently. Now he was feeling unsure of himself. Most of what the man said he didn't even know if it was true or not. He mostly just knew that his father saved his mom and that she used to live in the slums. He had no idea if she did or didn't participate in a gang. The story sounded so farfetched but also true. Feeling at odds with himself, he decided he should be careful what he said next. If he let on how little he truly knew of his parents past, this man could make up almost any story and he wouldn't be able to falsify it.

"I still don't trust you, and you could have learned all that from rumors but I don't think I really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

Upon hearing his comment, Deshal grinned. "Not much choice at all. Unless you want to play another game of cat and mouse?"

"Not interested. By the way, what is that thing anyways?" Yuya gestured to the creature laying behind him who was silently watching the exchange between the two.

"Oh, this here is a dragon. His name is Odd Eyes. He is a unique specimen, devoted to protecting his homeland and the next heir."

"Next heir? Heir to what?"

Pausing, Deshal's expression took on a form of surprise before he quickly turned his back to Yuya.

"You truly know nothing…" The man whispered under his breathe. Yuya had to strain his ears to hear but even then he wasn't sure he had heard him correctly. Instead of asking, Yuya decided to play this out and gather as much information as he could.

"So what now?"

"Now I am bringing you back to where you belong." Yuya gulped with unease as the man's eyes darkened with the comment. As the man stepped forward, Yuya cautiously stepped back feeling a cold sensation of dread pass through him. Something wasn't right, and he was in danger, that was what his senses were telling him and he needed to get away.

"Back to where?" Yuya asked, trying to drag out the conversation and search for an escape route.

"Home." The cold response was flat and emotionless which scared Yuya even more.

"Ye… yeah… and where is that?" He tried asking again.

"Here, but on the other side." This time the man snatched out and roughly grabbed Yuya by the wrist, pulling him closure.

"Ouch… let go!" Yuya desperately tried to break free but the man's grip was like a deadbolt. With strong tugs, the man slowly pulled him towards the temple. 'Urk.' Digging his heels into the forest floor, he twisted and turned, tugged and pulled but nothing seemed to work. Instead, the grip on his wrist only tightened and his circulation was being cut off. Yuya cried out in pain and decided to try a new tactic. Bolting forward, he crashed head first into Deshal who finally released his hold in surprise. Using this chance to escape, Yuya quickly bolted away and made a mad dash for the trees.

Deshal quickly recovered from the blow and broke out into a sprint after the youth, leaving a startled dragon looking after them.

…

"Mobilize all troops. Get the horses, food, water and weapons prepared." Reiji's order rung out through the castle halls as he bolted through them. He was afraid they might have less time on their hands than he had originally thought. It was one thing to kidnap him and hold his prisoner somewhere in their world, but if he was being led to another world, than he might lose all hope of ever saving Yuya.

Entering into the grand hall, he paused at the throne and stared down at it solemnly. This other world, could it be where his father had fled to. Reo Akaba, the previous king to the kingdom who had been driven mad with power and expelled.

"Prince Akaba!"

Hearing his name called, the prince turned in the direction of the voices to find a group of people hustling towards him. He recognized his mother's lady-in-waiting and he knew a couple of the girls were maids from catching a glimpse of them cleaning around his study.

"What is it? Please make it quick, I am in a hurry."

"We would like to help!" Koko and Anzu blurted out at the same time.

To further emphasize, Aiko added, "Yuya is our friend and we want to do our part in rescuing him."

"We can help gather your equipment, ready the horses, pack you food, just name it." Chizu pleaded out. Sakura nodded her head enthusiastically behind her.

"I can also be of service." Gongenzaka cut in. The prince turned his attention to the large man before him.

"And who might you be?" The prince asked cautiously.

"I am Yuya's childhood friend. My name is Gongenzaka and I own a dojo in the village."

"Oh…" The prince silently stared at him for a moment longer before turning his attention back to the girls.

"Your assistance is much appreciated. Please assist the soldiers with gathering their needed materials and then met the stable boy outside and help ready the horses." Pausing, he turned to the man, "a dojo you say?"

"Yes prince."

"Your help would be most beneficial on the battle field. How handy are you with a sword?"

"I prefer to fight with my fists but when I was younger, I had taken a few sword fighting lessons."

"Good, you will ride with me." Turning away, the prince quickly paced away without another word.

Feeling pleased at their success, they all smiled and quickly broke off into a run to look for the knight quarters and begin offering their assistance. Gongenzaka followed behind feeling excited that he had been ordered to ride at the prince's side. This meant he would be at the front of the troops and could help to the best of his ability, rather than watch at the back. Unsure of where to go, he decided he might as well follow the girls since he would need to pick up equipment for himself.

….

Yuya was small and agile allowing him to easily slip through the trees and tight gaps but the man chasing was strong and fast, easily throwing debris and other roadblocks out of the way or quickly maneuvering around the gaps Yuya fit himself through. Yuya was slowly pulling away but his stamina was running low and if the dragon started chasing now, he was going to be caught. Needing someway to throw the man off, Yuya kept his eyes peeled on his surroundings until he found a thick pile of shrubbier covered in thorns, but a small opening in the bottom suggested some kind of small animal had made its home here. Bolting for It, he dived for the entrance and hastily crawled his way forward. The opening was narrow and hard to fit through but he managed to wiggle himself inside, not without cutting himself up pretty good on the thorns. Most of the gashes were shallow, but a few stung really bad and his arms were dripping blood. Hissing, he ignored the pain and glanced behind him. The man had apparently lost him even before he had nosedived for this bush, for he had paused outside his hiding place but wasn't looking at it. He was scanning the area for movement or some sign of tampered overgrowth.

"Ahhhhh!" The man bellowed out his frustration and started to watch away. "Odd Eyes!" The man hollowered out with frustration. "Where the hell are you!"

Not wanting to stick around, Yuya twisted around to scout out another exit and sure enough, there was another small pocket hole. As cautiously as he could, he crept up to it and slid on his belly, using his arms and feet to pull himself forward. This second entrance lead to a small clearing hidden from view by the massive shrubbier surrounding the area. The clearing was covered in grass, flowers and in the center was a small pond. He noticed that there were quite a few animals relaxing in the clearing, some of which were deer, birds, small rodents and a family of raccoons. It was bazaar to see a wide range of animals all gathered together in a small area. It was almost like a safe haven for the critters of the forest. However his appearance set the animals in a fright and they all scurried away. Walking over to the water, he cupped his hands together and dipped them into the water before bringing the liquid up to his lips to take a drink. His throat had felt a little sore and the cold water quenched his thirst. If he wasn't being chased, he might have stayed a while longer, he was enjoying the peace but he knew he couldn't stay to long. Before leaving however, he decided it would be best to wash away the blood and quickly splashed some water onto his arms. Once he was certain most of the blood was gone, he found another small entrance a little bigger this time and slipped in. Once he was back in the forest, he broke off in a sprint again. There was no way, no how, he would ever allow that man to take him. Even if the man was his uncle, he still gave off negative vibes that let him know the man was not good.

….

Gongenzaka stared at his reflection in the polished steel of his blade. He was no warrior, that was for sure but his skills with a sword were at least average and right now, all that mattered was saving his friend. Taking arching swings, Gongenzaka re-familiarized himself with the handling of a blade. Pause, analyze, side step, swing, parry, jab, block, counter, swing. He still had his teachings down, he had just never actually tried them in combat.

"Gong?" Jumping surprised from his inner thoughts, he turned in the direction of the voice.

"Oh sorry Yuzu. I didn't hear you."

"I asked, are you feeling nervous?"

"A little, I must admit but I must put my feelings aside and focus on bringing Yuya back home."

"And getting yourself home as well." Yuzu added in. "Don't forget to take care of yourself first if you want to truly save Yuya. How would he feel if his best friend died trying to save him?"

"I know Yuzu, I will be carefu…" A loud horn rang out over the village signaling the troops to gather in the court yard. Stopping mid-sentence, Gonzenzaka bid Yuzu farewell and mobilized with the rest of the troops who were mostly saddled up.

"You all might be thinking this decision is rash and uncharacteristic of a leader, that I am a faulty prince… some of you might be feeling at odds with what you might be risking in an endeavor that seems folly… but my knights, this is more than just a fight for one single man, this is a fight that can potentially be against creatures we have never seen before and a world we have yet to learn about. Some of you might not return but those who stand and fight to the death with have their names remembered as heroes!"

The prince withdrew his sword and cried out the word "Heroes" with such passion that the knights returned in kind. Each offered their own war cry and with a kick of the heels, they were off into the forest, a flurry of hundreds of horses following the prince. By bringing so many knights, he heavily weakened his castles defenses, but he wasn't foolish, he still had men guarding the village while in his absence and he had extra artillery weapons set up along the castle walls for further defense, but he brought a large portion of his men for fears they might encounter something too large to handle with only a hand full of troops. He wanted to return home successful, not unsuccessful and feeling ill prepared. This might be his only chance to save the one person he cared for most in his life and he wasn't about to let himself fall short.


	8. Update (been busy)

Hey guys, just wanted to post an update so I don't leave everyone hanging. These last few weeks have been so busy I haven't really had an opportunity to continue the story. I do have some of the next chapter written but not all of it and I am going to be busy a bit longer so for now, this story is on hold.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year's guys.


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